Re: info needed re: eyeglasses

Lauren Rene Hotchkiss (laurhot@ix.netcom.com)
Sat, 11 Jan 1997 23:43:56 -0800

Diane wrote:
>
>Hi. If you have perfect vision or are under 40, go ahead and delete
now!
>
>For the rest of you, can anyone give me some help? I am reaching that
age >where bifocals are beginning to loom. Yes, that print is getting
smaller all >the time! Anyway, I can see that this could be a big issue
where the harp is >concerned. I wear glasses already, because I'm
really nearsighted. But now I >have trouble seeing my treble strings -
a bifocal might help this. But how >about seeing music on a stand -
should I just jump in the deep end and go >straight to trifocals? Any
suggestions based on your experiences would be >welcome. I know my
optometrist is not a harp player, so I'd like to go in with >some ideas
as to what might work best!

_________________________________________________________________

Very synchronistic that you should mention this, as I've noticed
the same thing happening to me on the harp. I've worn glasses for
nearsightedness for thirty years or so (I'm 43 now), but recently began
having problems reading and, yes, playing the harp. With my glasses on
I can see the bass strings but the trebble strings are out of focus;
when I take my glasses off I can see the trebble strings just fine, but
have to make wild guesses (string colors nearly undiscernible) when
making stabs at any bass strings lower that C below middle C. This has
led to an increasingly cumbersome series of occular gymnastics
involving tring to see through the lenses of my glasses at some times
and beneath them at others. I think the problem is exacerbated in my
case because I have to read a lot (I'm a returning college
student--English major) and also work on the computer for extended
periods at school, work, and home. I finally couldn't stand the
problem any longer and went to the eye doctor and, sure enough he said
I needed bifocals.....eek! So far I'm not having any trouble reading
music as my music stand stays at a constant depth point in my field of
vision. Just out of curiosity, though, what do trifocals do? I'm
familiar with the theory of how bifocals work, but trifocals, I haven't
a clue.

Myopically yours,
Lauren